Comic Book Origins: Yellowjacket

VO: Dan Paradis
Script written by Craig Butler
Coming up with just the right superhero name is harder than it seems. Just ask Hank Pym, aka Ant-Man, Giant-Man, Goliath and Yellowjacket. Welcome to WatchMojo.com and today we will explore the comic book origin of Hank Pym. As with most comic book characters, there are often re-imaginations and different versions to a character’s past.
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Superhero Origins: Hank Pym

Coming up with just the right superhero name is harder than it seems. Just ask Hank Pym, aka Ant-Man, Giant-Man, Goliath and Yellowjacket. Welcome to WatchMojo.com and today we will explore the comic book origin of Hank Pym.

As with most comic book characters, there are often re-imaginations and different versions to a character’s past. We have chosen primarily to follow the storyline which unfolded in 1963’s Tales to Astonish #49 and which was expanded upon in 1966’s Avengers #28, 1968’s Avengers #59 and 2009’s Secret Invasion - Requiem.

Dr. Henry Pym, or “Hank” to his friends, started out in the superhero business as Ant-Man back in 1962. The diminutive crime fighter has already had his origin told in a separate video but his career as Ant-Man only tells part of Hank Pym’s story.

A brilliant scientist, Pym had discovered a chemical formula that enabled him to shrink to the size of an ant. He used a separate mixture to grow back to human size. By 1963, Pym had been joined by a fiancée, Janet Van Dyne, who also used his potion to become the tiny heroine known as the Wasp. But Pym had also figured out that he could manipulate his potion to grow extra tall as well as to shrink.

Pym’s first experiment worked a bit too well. He grew so large so quickly that he burst through his house. In addition, he was so tall that he could no longer support his weight. If Janet had not been on hand to slip him a reducing pill, there’s no telling what might have happened.

After getting his growth abilities under control, Pym christened himself Giant-Man. He discovered that the maximum height he could achieve and still maintain proper control was twelve feet. Armed with this knowledge, Giant-Man took on his first foe: the Eraser. This was an alien being who was erasing famous scientists from existence.

Giant-Man quickly discovered that the scientists were not being killed. Instead, they were “erased” to another dimension. Once there, they were being forced to build an atomic bomb, which the beings of this dimension would use to gain control of Earth. Fortunately, Giant-Man and the Wasp were able to defeat the alien villains and transport all the missing Earthlings back home.
In 1966, Giant-Man underwent another change. When the Wasp was captured by the intergalactic villain known as the Collector, Pym contacted his old friends at the Avengers for help. During this period, something had changed and now Pym could only switch between normal height and 25 feet. He was able to support his weight at this height, but he had to stay at that height for at least 15 minutes. Switching back and forth at lesser intervals caused heart problems.

Donning a new costume created for him by the Scarlet Witch, Pym demonstrated his power to the Avengers. He also chose a new name for himself: Goliath.
Working with the Avengers, a malfunction in his suit caused him to become stuck at the height of ten feet, unable to grow or shrink anymore. This situation was eventually resolved after a few months.

Stranger things were to happen in 1968. A new being named Yellowjacket, with super-powered stinging powers, showed up at Avengers HQ. He claimed to have finished off Goliath and was taking his place. Eventually, it was revealed that Yellowjacket was actually Hank Pym, suffering from mental delusions. When he was cured, Pym and Janet Van Dyne married.

In 2009, Pym took on a new identity after the supposed death of Janet Van Dyne. In a story that recounted his origin in detail, readers learned of Pym’s first marriage, to a Hungarian refugee named Maria. Her murder on a return visit to Hungary prompted Pym to become Ant-Man. Later, Pym met Janet Van Dyne when her scientist father visited Pym. Dr. Van Dyne was soon killed by a creature from another planet. Janet became the Wasp to help Hank track down her father’s killer. Their love grew over the years, despite many challenges.
At the end of the story, in honor of Janet Van Dyne, Pym became the new Wasp.

Few superheroes have taken on as many different identities as Hank Pym over the years. While his Ant-Man persona is probably his most popular and enduring, all of the identities have been interesting and made for some awesome adventures.

Are you a fan of the Hank Pym in all his guises? For more comic book origins, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.